Monday, March 17, 2014

I have 3 compost bays in my back yard, the center bay is made of wood and the outside two bays were easily added with wire fencing and a few metal posts. Honestly, it is extremely easy to make compost. Especially if you have little kids who waste a lot of food, their scraps always go to feed the worms and critters in the compost pile which makes me feel so much better!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Part I:

Embracing Organic Land Care – One Design at a Time Roots…

By Michael McCleese, AOLCP

Twenty-five years ago I took a job on a landscape crew as an
out of shape, burned out social worker.It was a particularly hot summer and I’ll never forget what it was like
hefting 24” balled and burlapped boxwoods out of a trailer onto a planting
bed.I was used to carrying a pager,
talking on the telephone, and having long lunches with co-workers.Landscaping was tough.The sun was brutally hot. The work was hard
and physically demanding. Sweat and grime soaked my clothes and at the end of
the day;I was really, truly
hungry.As the weeks passed, leathery
calluses began to replace the blisters on my soft palms.I noticed something else that summer while I
dug holes and mulched and edged and planted.As the calluses got tougher and my body slimmer, I started seeing colors
in the garden, not just green, but 40 kinds of green and 20 kinds of yellow and
lavender and blue!I began to notice
venation in leaves and that some shrubs and trees had exfoliating bark on their
limbs and trunks.Then the big surprise,
I started noticing shapes and textures and grade changes in the landscape.
Amazing!A garden designer was born!

Award-Winning Organic Turfgrass at the University of Texas
at Austin

by Kathy Litchfield

Mike Wallick

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Someone once asked Mike Wallick if he knew
what an “expert” was. The answer he received was “someone more than 50 miles
from home, with a briefcase.”

As West
Campus Supervisor for Landscape Services at the University of Texas at Austin for
the last seven years, Wallick knows that diplomas and degrees carry weight. His
brand new NOFA accreditation (PA course, 2013) is increasing his credibility
not only among his colleagues and superiors, but within the greater Austin
community.

“Becoming accredited is the career accomplishment I am most
proud of, as it reveals a holistic approach to the concept of ‘land care’ and
outlines the program for us to align ourselves with the natural processes at
work and/or help to restore those processes,” he said.

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About Us

The Organic Land Care Program is managed by the Northeast Organic Farming Association. The OLC has an Accreditation program for organic land care professionals based on the NOFA Standards in Organic Land Care. We also have a number of publications and programs to support homeowners and gardeners working to maintain their yard, garden and lawn without harmful chemicals.